Penguins, Ducks, Senators rate in top 10 of ESPN poll

NHL.com

Penguins, Ducks, Senators rate in top 10 of ESPN pollThe Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators have been ranked in the top 10 of the 122 teams included in ESPN the Magazine's 2013 Ultimate Standings.

The Penguins are ranked seventh, the Ducks are eighth and the Senators are ninth. The Senators are the top-ranked professional sports team in Canada.

The standings are an annual production by ESPN the Magazine, which compiles the results of fan surveys and financial analysis to determine which teams in the NHL, NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball offer the greatest rewards for the emotion, money and time that fans invest.

The 122 teams are ranked in order based on a weighted average of scores in eight different categories: affordability, bang for the buck, coaching, fan relations, ownership, players, stadium experience and title track.

"Our fans are always one of the Senators organization's most important priorities," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said in a statement. "This year's ESPN ranking is a testament to the ongoing commitment of our entire organization to continually focus on providing the best possible experience for our great fans. We are thrilled and extremely proud to be recognized as Canada's top professional sports team and to achieve an overall top-10 ranking in all of professional sports."

I don't have a crystal ball. Predicting is a real complicated thing. If we stay healthy, have enough depth and get the good goaltending we think we're going to have, you can go all the way. But a lot of things have to happen. There's going to be a lot of teams that think the same thing. Everyone made deals. We're all are optimistic about where we'll end up.

— Rangers general manager Glen Sather after being asked if he's constructed a team that can win the Stanley Cup before their 4-1 win against the Predators on Monday